Seed starting is an exciting and rewarding experience. To be able to take a tiny seed and transform it into a growing plant is truly unique. There are many seed starting trays available today to make your seed starting an easier task. I will go over some of the things that you will need to look for in a seed tray

The first thing that you want to consider when getting seed trays is what material you want the trays to be made out of. There are several options such as a thin disposable plastic, hard reusable plastic, and biodegradable trays. The biodegradable trays seem like a good concept but I feel that these trays never fully break down when transferred into your garden and can seriously inhibit proper root growth . With this being said my choice would be a tradition plastic seed starting tray where you completely take your plant out when transplanting.

The next thing is to determine what size seed trays you will need. Seed starting trays come anywhere from four tray all the way up to seventy-two trays. What size you will need will all depend on the exact number of plants you intend to prepare for your garden. The next aspect of the size of the trays that you will need to consider is the individual size of each tray. It is best to get a tray that is wide and deep enough to allow your seedlings to develop a strong root structure. There are seed trays that are made extra deep to encourage a root growth, these are the trays that will create the healthiest plants.

The last major thing to look for in a seed starting tray is if it has any drainage. It is very important that it has drainage holes in the bottom of the tray to allow excess moisture to exit the soil. Soil that is not allowed to drain excess water has a low oxygen content and will increase the likelihood of a fungus growing. It can also create what is called root rot from keeping the roots of the seedlings wet for too long of a period of time.

With the proper seed starting tray you will be one step closer to experiencing the joy of growing your own seeds. It truly is rewarding to start your seeds from scratch and watch them as they progress and mature all the way until they bear fruit. I hope that this information will help you have to have a more successful gardening year.